Bound by Fire

Family Dance Off

---

The next morning, Sanya woke up to a dozen missed messages on the family group chat. She rubbed her eyes and squinted at her phone, struggling to make sense of the flurry of texts, emojis, and exclamation marks. From what she could piece together, Aarav's family was organizing a full-blown dance rehearsal for the wedding. And apparently, she and Aarav were expected to star in a surprise "couple's performance."

"Oh no," Sanya muttered, biting her lip to keep from laughing as she imagined Aarav's reaction.

Right on cue, her phone buzzed with an incoming call from him. She picked up, grinning.

"Did you know about this?" Aarav's voice came through the line, sounding more panicked than usual. "They're making us dance. *Together*. In front of everyone."

Sanya burst into laughter. "Oh, come on, it'll be fun! Think of it as a bonding experience."

"I'm pretty sure the last time we bonded over something, you hit me with a pillow," Aarav grumbled, though she could hear the hint of a smile in his voice.

"Well, this time I'll try not to aim anything at your head," she teased, grabbing her things to head over to his family's house for the first rehearsal. "Besides, I think the entire family is looking forward to this. We have to give them a show."

"Fine," Aarav sighed, sounding resigned. "But if I accidentally trip over my own feet, you're covering for me."

"Deal," Sanya replied, still giggling as she hung up.

---

When Sanya arrived at Aarav's family home, the scene was nothing short of chaotic. Aarav's cousins, aunts, and uncles were bustling around, practicing their dance moves and shouting instructions at each other. Sanya spotted Aarav across the room, looking bewildered as he was surrounded by a group of relatives who were enthusiastically demonstrating various Bollywood dance steps.

He caught her eye and immediately made a beeline for her, relief flooding his face. "Thank God you're here. They've already started choreographing our dance. I barely know my right foot from my left foot!"

Sanya couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him. Aarav, who usually radiated calm confidence, looked utterly out of his element. She took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'll lead."

"Oh, I'm counting on it," he replied, looking at her with a mixture of hope and dread. "The only dance I know is the 'awkward sway.'"

As the choreographer called everyone to gather around, Sanya and Aarav took their place in the center. The choreographer—a lively, middle-aged man named Ravi—clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Alright, lovebirds! Today, we're learning a simple yet *passionate* routine. It's all about chemistry. Just feel the music and follow my lead!"

Sanya shot Aarav a mischievous grin as they got into position. The music started—a classic Bollywood number with a dramatic beat—and Sanya tried her best to keep a straight face as they began the steps. The routine was fairly simple: a few spins, a couple of twirls, and one dramatic dip at the end.

But of course, Aarav made it entertaining. He stepped on her toes not once, but three times, and missed a spin so spectacularly that he nearly fell over. By the time they got to the dip, both of them were laughing too hard to continue.

"Chemistry!" Ravi exclaimed, clearly oblivious to their struggle. "Yes, yes! More passion!"

Sanya, caught up in the hilarity of the moment, decided to play along. She leaned into Aarav with exaggerated dramatics, fluttering her eyelashes and giving him a smoldering look that sent him into fits of laughter.

"Oh, I'm swooning," he whispered, rolling his eyes. "You're really milking this, aren't you?"

"Someone has to make this convincing," Sanya shot back, trying not to laugh as they finished the dip. "Besides, you're supposed to be the strong, silent type, right? So I'm just balancing things out."

As they straightened up, the rest of the family burst into applause, clearly thrilled with the performance. Aarav's mom wiped a tear from her eye, clutching her hands to her heart. "They're perfect together!" she gushed, her voice full of pride.

Aarav groaned softly. "Now they're going to expect us to be professional dancers," he muttered, though there was a soft smile playing on his lips.

Sanya squeezed his hand. "Don't worry, we'll get through it. And just think—at least this will make for some great wedding memories."

"Yeah," Aarav replied, his eyes twinkling with a warmth that made her heart skip a beat. "We'll be the talk of the family for years."

---

After the rehearsal, they escaped to the backyard for a breather. The warm afternoon sun cast a golden glow over the garden, and the sounds of laughter and music drifted from inside the house. Sanya leaned against the railing, letting out a sigh of contentment as she looked up at Aarav.

"For someone who complained about dancing, you weren't half bad," she teased, nudging him with her shoulder.

Aarav chuckled, leaning beside her. "Don't get used to it. I'm not planning to take up dancing anytime soon."

"Not even if I promised to make it worth your while?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Aarav turned to face her, his expression softening. "You already make everything worth it," he said, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her cheek, and for a moment, the world seemed to melt away.

Sanya felt her heart flutter as he leaned closer, his gaze dropping to her lips. Her breath caught, and she closed the distance between them, her hands slipping around his neck as their lips met in a gentle, lingering kiss. It was sweet and warm, filled with all the emotions they hadn't yet put into words.

When they finally pulled back, Aarav rested his forehead against hers, a soft smile on his face. "You know, I think I could get used to this," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sanya laughed, her cheeks tinged pink. "Who would have thought? Aarav Kapoor, the hopeless romantic."

He rolled his eyes, but the smile didn't leave his face. "Don't go spreading rumors. I have a reputation to maintain."

They stayed like that for a while, wrapped up in each other and the peacefulness of the moment. Despite the chaos of wedding preparations, the arguments, and the unexpected turns, Sanya realized that she wouldn't trade this for anything. They might have started as enemies, but somewhere along the way, they had found something real—something worth holding onto.

"Ready to go back and face the madness?" Aarav asked, breaking the silence.

Sanya nodded, taking his hand. "As long as I'm with you, I'm ready for anything."

With one last smile, they headed back inside, hand in hand, ready to face whatever the next part of their journey would bring.